Noxopharm reports multiple companies evaluating its assets

Biotech News: Australian biotech company, Noxopharm, has taken steps toward in commercialising its Sofra platform with the signing of several material transfer agreements (MTA) and interest from a range of mid-sized to multi-billion-dollar companies.

Noxopharm said the companies are testing a number of novel and proprietary assets from the Sofra platform, which contains, among others, the SOF-VAC mRNA vaccine enhancer and SOF-SKN lupus medication.

“Signing these MTAs is a significant milestone for us and an integral part of our corporate strategy,” Noxopharm CEO Dr Gisela Mautner said, who scooped up the inaugural Brooker Prize for Impact in Life Sciences last week.

“The agreements represent external validation and demonstrate that companies are interested in taking a closer look at our Sofra technology in order to understand its commercial potential.

“These opportunities came about through a substantial effort from the whole Noxopharm team and our partners at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research over the past 18 months, presenting at many international conferences and a large number of follow-up meetings.”

An MTA is an important step in the commercialisation process as it governs the sharing of information and materials between two parties, protecting intellectual property (IP) by outlining what exactly is being shared and what the transferred assets will be used for.

The technology is based on short nucleic acid sequences known as oligonucleotides, which provide a novel treatment approach, acting on specific cells to modulate inflammation at its source.

Sofra’s most advanced preclinical asset, SOF-VAC, has potential applications in the treatment of excessive inflammatory responses associated with receptors in the body known as Toll-like receptor 7, or TLR 7. TLR7 receptors can respond to mRNA vaccines and are typically responsible for many common vaccine side-effects such as fever, pain and fatigue, which can be blocked by SOF-VAC, eliminating side effects.

Dr Mautner added, “It should be noted than an MTA does not necessarily entail a future commercial agreement but it is indispensable as the basis for any potential future negotiations. As each company proceeds at its own pace through the evaluation process and the outcomes are as yet unknown, we are not able to provide timelines for next steps.

“In addition to our current MTAs, we are continuing to explore further commercial opportunities as external parties become increasingly aware of our valuable intellectual property and the exciting potential it holds.”

Other receptors such as TLR 8 and cGAS are also being targeted through the Sofra platform.

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